NHIS owes CHAG facilities GH¢ 80 million

The indebtedness of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to Health Facilities under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) facilities to over GH¢ 80 million in the past eight months is seriously affecting the delivery of quality health service in the country.

Mr. Peter Yeboah, Executive Director of CHAG said the indebtedness of NHIS was highly unacceptable and a breach of the social contract between the Scheme and service providers.

Lamenting on the situation, Mr. Yeboah in an interview stated that delays in payment for services rendered by the health facilities were having adverse effects on the institutions.

“Our suppliers are unwilling to supply us with essential consumables and medicines, our equipment are breaking down due to inadequate funds for repairs/maintenance, cost of fueling the power plants for surgical and medical services has become unbearable amidst the national power crises, staff motivation allowances have not been paid for moments, life-saving infrastructures are deteriorating”, he stated, adding that managing the health of Ghanaians under such crises situation is an impossible duty!

Describing the current state of the scheme as unsustainable, Mr. Yeboah called on government to immediately settle the debt it owes the facilities to help Ghanaians access quality health care.

He said even though CHAG sees NHIS as an important social protection service and that they have a moral right to ensure the survival and growth of the NHIS because CHAG pioneered and piloted the Health Insurance Scheme in the country, stressing that as service providers “we do not intend to be victims of the situation”.   

Mr. Yeboah observed that the state of the NHIS, its design , implementation, and the expectation from clients were unsustainable and suggested the creation of an alternative national health insurance scheme that will complement and supplement the current one.

“With the revelation that NHIS has inadequate resources to even pay its debt means there was something fundamentally wrong with the scheme,” he added.

The Executive Director disclosed that CHAG in the short term will continue to impress on government to pay the debt the Scheme owes the facilities and also initiate a national dialogue to discuss sustainable ways of funding a National Health Insurance Scheme in the long term as well as relook at the premium, benefit packages and issues associated with funding Public Health in the country.

He explained that the unintended effects of the operationalisation of the NHIS has led clients and many stakeholders to develop a mindset that healthcare provision was free, making many Ghanaians unprepared to pay for health care services.

Another unintended effect, he added was that public health-disease prevention and health promotion- which should have been the cornerstone of any health system has been submerged under the NHIS, which rather incentivizes disease treatment.

“Health Providers now see any patient as money making tool, thus raising ethical/moral imperatives in the value of human health,” he added and asked who or how do we fund public health if the NHIS is not funding it?

Mr. Yeboah, reiterating the adverse effects the operationalisation of the NHIS has on the demand and supply of healthcare, challenged Ghanaians to debate and discuss the viability and sustainability NHIS in providing equitable safety nets for the rich, middle class, and the poor.

Commenting on the proposal for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to sustain the health care provision if nothing was done to address the inherent challenges, Mr. Yeboah debunked the accusation that PPP was the reintroduction of Cash and Carry system.

He explained that patients with the NHIS Cards will still be served under the PPP arrangements but they will be directed to procure their medicines at designated places within the health facilities.

He described the PPP as an interim distress action  meant to highlight the crises situation of the NHIS, and safeguard the health of Ghanaians in the midst of the worsening financial conditions of Health Service Providers that is affecting the availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptable of service delivery in the country.

Although, the finance Minister Seth Terkper, states that all areas owed the Scheme has been paid, there are reports that there is still a GH¢ 400 million funding gap, which if not settled could worsen the NHIS which analyst say is in crisis. Indeed there is an urgent need to look at the sustainability of the Scheme to ensure the continuous provision of quality healthcare under the Scheme.